Temporary Hiatus

Moving is taking up a lot of our time, so we'll update as we're able. Apologies.

Prayers for 1/18

Today we ask the intercession of Sts. Jaime Hilario Barbel; and Bls. Beatrix of Este the Younger, Carola Lucas, Félicité Pricet, and Maria Teresa Fasce.

For personal intentions...

For the intentions posted on Happy Catholic and Catholic Fire...

For all intentions previously posted on this site...

Hymn for 1/18

Before Thy People I Confess

Before Thy people I confess
The wonders of Thy righteousness;
Thou knowest, Lord, that I have made
Thy great salvation known,
Thy truth and faithfulness displayed,
Thy lovingkindness shown.

Withhold not Thou Thy grace from me,
O Lord, Thy mercy let me see,
To me Thy lovingkindness show,
Thy truth be still my stay;
Let them preserve me where I go,
And keep me every day.

Let all who seek to see Thy face,
Be glad and joyful in Thy grace;
Let those who Thy salvation love
Forevermore proclaim:
O praise the Lord Who dwells above,
And magnify His Name.

Although I poor and needy be,
The Lord in love takes thought for me;
Thou art my help in time of need,
My Savior, Lord, art Thou;
Then, O my God, I pray, I plead:
Stay not, but save me now.

A new and joyful song of praise
He taught my thankful heart to raise;
And many, seeing me restored,
Shall fear the Lord and trust;
And blest are they that trust the Lord,
The humble and the just.

Prayers for 1/17

Today we ask the intercession of Sts. Anthony the Abbot and Jenaro Sánchez Delgadillo; and Bls. Gamelbert and Rosalina of Villeneuve.

For all monastic communities...


For the sick, especially those who suffer from skin diseases...


For those who work in cemeteries...


For Jacob...

For personal intentions...

For the intentions posted on Happy Catholic and Catholic Fire...

For all intentions previously posted on this site...

Hymn for 1/17

Where High the Heavenly Temple Stands

Where high the heavenly temple stands,
The house of God not made with hands,
A great High Priest our nature wears,
The Guardian of mankind appears.

He Who for men their Surety stood,
And poured on earth His precious blood,
Pursues in Heaven His mighty plan,
The Savior and the Friend of man.

Though now ascended up on high,
He bends on earth a brother’s eye;
Partaker of the human name,
He knows the frailty of our frame.

Our fellow Sufferer yet retains
A fellow feeling of our pains:
And still remembers in the skies
His tears, His agonies, and cries.

In every pang that rends the heart,
The Man of Sorrows had a part,
He sympathizes with our grief,
And to the sufferer sends relief.

With boldness, therefore, at the throne,
Let us make all our sorrows known;
And ask the aids of heavenly power
To help us in the evil hour.

Prayers for 1/16

Today we ask the intercession of Sts. Fulgentius of Ecija, Fursey, Honoratus of Arles, and Pope Marcellus I; and Bls. Ferreolus, Gonzalo de Amarante, Joseph Vaz, and Juana Maria Condesa Lluch.

For the Holy Father, and for his personal intentions...

For the Congregation of the Handmaids of the Immaculate Conception, Protectress of Workers...

For areas affected by drought...

For personal intentions...

For the intentions posted on Happy Catholic and Catholic Fire...

For all intentions previously posted on this site...

Hymn for 1/16

Lord of Our Life, God Whom We Fear

Lord of our life, God Whom we fear,
Unknown, yet known; unseen, yet near;
Breath of our breath, in Thee we live;
Life of our life, our praise receive.

Thine eye detects the sparrow’s fall;
Thy heart of love expands for all;
Our throbbing life is full of Thee;
Throned in Thy vast infinity.

Shine in our darkness, Light of light,
Our minds illumine, disperse our night;
Make us responsive to Thy will;
Our souls with all Thy fullness fill.

We love Thy Name; we heed Thy rod;
Thy Word our law, O gracious God!
We wait Thy will; on Thee we call:
Our light, our life, our love, our all.

Prayers for 1/15

Today we ask the intercession of the Prophet Habakkuk; Sts. Arnold Janssen, Francis Ferdinand de Capillas, Ita, Maurus, and Paul the Hermit.

We also celebrate the civil holiday of Martin Luther King Day.

For the people of the Azores...

For the Society of the Divine Word...

For the Missionary Sisters, Servants of the Holy Ghost...

For the Sister Servants of the Holy Spirit of Perpetual Adoration...

For those suffering from winter-related illnesses...

For peace and harmony between all races...

For Karen Marie Knapp...

For the Price family...

For those who died in the fire in Huntingon, WV, and for their families and friends...

For personal intentions...

For the intentions posted on Happy Catholic and Catholic Fire...

For all intentions previously posted on this site...

Hymn for 1/15

Where High the Heavenly Temple Stands

Where high the heavenly temple stands,
The house of God not made with hands,
A great High Priest our nature wears,
The Guardian of mankind appears.

He Who for men their Surety stood,
And poured on earth His precious blood,
Pursues in Heaven His mighty plan,
The Savior and the Friend of man.

Though now ascended up on high,
He bends on earth a brother’s eye;
Partaker of the human name,
He knows the frailty of our frame.

Our fellow Sufferer yet retains
A fellow feeling of our pains:
And still remembers in the skies
His tears, His agonies, and cries.

In every pang that rends the heart,
The Man of Sorrows had a part,
He sympathizes with our grief,
And to the sufferer sends relief.

With boldness, therefore, at the throne,
Let us make all our sorrows known;
And ask the aids of heavenly power
To help us in the evil hour.

Prayers for 1/12-1/14

We ask the intercession of the Martyrs of Ephesus; the Martyrs of Iona; the Forty Martyred Soldiers at Rome; the Martyrs of Mount Sinai; the Martyrs of Raithu; Sts. Antony Mary Pucci, Benedict Biscop, Bernard of Corleone, Marguerite Bourgeous, Godfrey of Cappenberg, Hilary of Poitiers, Ivetta of Huy, Kentigern, Remigius, Felix of Nola, Macrina the Elder, ; and Bls. Nicholas Bunkerd Kitbamrung, Veronica of Milan, Anicet Hryciuk, Odo of Novara, and Peter Donders.


For the people of France...

For the Congregation of Notre Dame...

For performing and visual artists...

For underdeveloped children...

For the visually impaired...

For thanksgiving at the safe return of Shawn Hornbeck and Ben Ownby, and for their families and friends...

For the churches in North Carolina affected by fire, and for their congregations...

For the repose of the souls of miners killed in West Virginia, and for their families and friends...

For Deputy Tim Johnson, and for his family and friends...

For personal intentions...

For the intentions posted on Happy Catholic and Catholic Fire...

For all intentions previously posted on this site...

Hymn for the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Glory to Thee, O Lord

Glory to Thee, O Lord,
Who by Thy mighty power
Didst manifest Thy glory forth
In Cana’s marriage hour.

Thou spakest: it was done:
Obedient to Thy word,
The water reddening into wine
Proclaimed the present Lord.

Blest were the eyes which saw
That wondrous mystery,
The great beginning of Thy works
That kindled faith in Thee.

And blessèd they who know
Thine unseen presence true,
When in the kingdom of Thy grace
Thou makest all things new.

For by Thy loving hand
Thy people still are fed;
Thine is the cup of blessing, Lord,
And Thou the heavenly bread.

O may that grace be ours,
Ever in Thee to live,
And drink of those refreshing streams,
Which Thou alone canst give.

So, led from strength to strength,
Grant us, O Lord, to see
The marriage supper of the Lamb,
Thy great Epiphany.

Apologies Again

Internet problems, a medical emergency (happily resolved), and time constraints have prevented posting the last two days.

Prayers for 1/11

Today we ask the intercession of Sts. Francisca Salesia, Pope Hyginus, and Theodosius the Cenobiarch; and Bls. Francis Rogaczewski and William Carter.

For the Holy Father, and for his personal intentions...

For the Oblate Sisters of St. Francis de Sales...

For personal intentions...

For the intentions posted on Happy Catholic and Catholic Fire...

For all intentions previously posted on this site...

Hymn for 1/11

Come, Christians, Join to Sing

Come, Christians, join to sing
Alleluia! Amen!
Loud praise to Christ our King;
Alleluia! Amen!
Let all, with heart and voice,
Before His throne rejoice;
Praise is His gracious choice.
Alleluia! Amen!

Come, lift your hearts on high,
Alleluia! Amen!
Let praises fill the sky;
Alleluia! Amen!
He is our Guide and Friend;
To us He’ll condescend;
His love shall never end.
Alleluia! Amen!

Praise yet our Christ again,
Alleluia! Amen!
Life shall not end the strain;
Alleluia! Amen!
On heaven’s blissful shore,
His goodness we’ll adore,
Singing forevermore,
“Alleluia! Amen!”

Prayers for 1/10

Today we ask the intercession of Sts. Pope Agatho, Nicanor, and Peter Orseolo; and Bls. Anna of the Angels Monteagudo, Benincasa of Cava, Giles of Lorenzana, and Maria Dolores Rodriguez Sopena.

For the Holy Father, and for his personal intentions...

For the Sopeña Catechetical Institute...

For personal intentions...

For the intentions posted on Happy Catholic and Catholic Fire...

For all intentions previously posted on this site...

Hymn for 1/10

Thine Arm, O Lord, in Days of Old

Thine arm, O Lord, in days of old, was strong to heal and save;
It triumphed o’er disease and death, o’er darkness and the grave.
To Thee they went, the blind, the dumb, the palsied and the lame,
The leper with his tainted life, the sick with fevered frame.

And lo! Thy touch brought life and health, gave speech, and strength and sight;
And youth renewed and fear relieved owned Thee, the Lord of light;
And now, O Lord, be near to bless, Almighty as of yore,
In crowded street, by restless couch, as by Gennesaret’s shore.

Be Thou our great Deliverer still, Thou Lord of life and death;
Restore and quicken, soothe and bless, with Thine almighty breath.
To hands that work and eyes that see, give wisdom’s heavenly lore,
That whole and sick, and weak and strong, may praise Thee evermore.

Prayers for 1/9

Today we ask the intercession of St. Marciana; and Bls. Pope Gregory X and Tommaso Reggio.

For the Holy Father, and for his personal intentions...

For the Sisters of St. Martha...

For Fran Lord, and for his family and friends...

For personal intentions...

For the intentions posted on Happy Catholic and Catholic Fire...

For all intentions previously posted on this site...

Hymn for 1/9

O Jesus, Crowned with All Renown

O Jesus, crowned with all renown,
Since Thou the earth hast trod,
Thou reignest, and by Thee come down
Henceforth the gifts of God.
Thine is the health and Thine the wealth
That in our halls abound,
And Thine the beauty and the joy
With which the years are crowned.

Lord, in their change, let frost and heat,
And winds and dews be giv’n;
All fostering power, all influence sweet,
Breathe from the bounteous Heav’n.
Attemper fair with gentle air
The sunshine and the rain,
That kindly earth with timely birth
May yield her fruits again.

That we may feed the poor aright,
And gathering round Thy throne,
Here, in the holy angels’ sight,
Repay Thee of Thine own:
That we may praise Thee all our days,
And with the Father’s Name,
And with the Holy Spirit’s gifts,
The Savior’s love proclaim.

Prayers for 1/8

Today we ask the intercession of Sts. Apollinaris, Erhard of Regensburg, Gudule, Pega of Peakirk, Severinus of Noricum, and Thorfinn; and Bls. Edward Waterson and Eurosia Fabris.

For the visually impaired...

For those working in the healthcare profession...

For the victims of the mine collapse in Tshikapa, Congo, and for their families...

For those affected by heavy rains and mudslides in Brazil...

For peace in the world...

For personal intentions...

For the intentions posted on Happy Catholic and Catholic Fire...

For all intentions previously posted on this site...

Hymn for the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

The Son of Man from Jordan Rose

The Son of Man from Jordan rose,
And prayed to God above;
When lo, the opening heav’ns disclose
A swift descending Dove.

The Spirit, lighting on His brow,
Anoints the Holy One;
The Father’s voice declaring, “Thou
Art My belovèd Son.”

So when, through His baptizing blessed
The Font new birth conveys,
Man kneels a son of God confessed,
Heav’n opens as he prays.

Fair innocency, like the dove’s,
Invests him, purged from sin;
For God the brooding Spirit moves,
Directs and rules within.

O Christ, Whose mercy cleansed our stain
With streams of grace divine,
Let us not soil the robes again
Made white in blood of Thine.

Redeemer of a world undone,
We praise Thee and adore,
Jesu, with God the Father One,
And Spirit evermore.

Prayers for 1/7

Today we ask the intercession of Sts. Canute Lavard, Charles of Sezze, Lucian of Antioch, Nicetas of Remesiana, Raymond of Penyafort, Reinhold, and Valentine of Rhaetia; and Bl. Ambrose Fernandez.

For the peoples of Romania and Denmark...

For all who work in the legal profession...

For stonemasons...

For personal intentions...

For the intentions posted on Happy Catholic and Catholic Fire...

For all intentions previously posted on this site...

Hymn for Epiphany Sunday

Songs of Thankfulness and Praise

Songs of thankfulness and praise,
Jesus, Lord, to Thee we raise,
Manifested by the star
To the sages from afar;
Branch of royal David’s stem
In Thy birth at Bethlehem;
Anthems be to Thee addressed,
God in man made manifest.

Manifest at Jordan’s stream,
Prophet, Priest, and King supreme;
And at Cana, wedding guest,
In Thy Godhead manifest;
Manifest in power divine,
Changing water into wine;
Anthems be to Thee addressed,
God in man made manifest.

Manifest in making whole
Palsied limbs and fainting soul;
Manifest in valiant fight,
Quelling all the devil’s might;
Manifest in gracious will,
Ever bringing good from ill;
Anthems be to Thee addressed,
God in man made manifest.

Sun and moon shall darkened be,
Stars shall fall, the heavens shall flee,
Christ will then like lightning shine,
All will see His glorious sign:
All will then the trumpet hear;
All will see the Judge appear;
Thou by all wilt be confessed,
God in man made manifest.

Grant us grace to see Thee, Lord,
Mirrored in Thy holy Word;
May we imitate Thee now,
And be pure, as pure art Thou;
That we like to Thee may be
At Thy great Epiphany;
And may praise Thee, ever blest,
God in man made manifest.

Prayers for 1/5 & 1/6

We ask the intercession of the Martyrs of Egypt; the Martyrs in Africa; several Martyrs of the French Revolution; The Three Magi; Sts. Charles of Mount Argus, Genoveva Torres Morales, Gerlac of Valkenburg, John Nepomucene Neumann, Syncletica, and Raphaela Maria Porras; and Bls. Andre Bessette, Marcelina Darowska, Maria Repetto, Pietro Bonilli, and Rita Amada De Jesus.

For the Congregation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Holy Angels...


For the Congregation of the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary...

For the Sisters of the Holy Family...

For the Handmaids of the Sacred Heart...

For the Sisters of Jesus, Mary and Joseph...

For the repose of the soul of Dom Lettieri, and for his family and friends...

For the repose of the soul of Christina Denwiddie, and for her family and friends...

For personal intentions...

For the intentions posted on Happy Catholic and Catholic Fire...

For all intentions previously posted on this site...

Hymn for 1/6

O Thou Who in Jordan

O Thou Who in Jordan didst bow Thy meek head,
And, ’whelmed in our sorrow, didst sink to the dead,
Then rose from the darkness to glory above,
And claimed for Thy chosen the kingdom of love.

Thy footsteps we follow, to bow in the tide,
And are buried with Thee in the death Thou hast died;
Then wake in Thy likeness to walk in the way
That brightens and brightens to shadowless day.

O Jesus, our Savior, O Jesus, our Lord,
By the life of Thy passion, the grace of Thy Word,
Accept us, redeem us, dwell ever within,
To keep, by Thy Spirit, our spirits from sin.

Till, crowned with Thy glory, and waving the palm,
Our garments all white from the blood of the Lamb,
We join the bright millions of saints gone before,
To bless Thee, and wonder, and praise evermore.

Hymn for the Solemnity of the Epiphany

From God the Father, Virgin-Born

From God the Father, virgin-born
To us the only Son came down;
By death the font to consecrate,
The faithful to regenerate.

Beginning from His home on high
In human flesh He came to die;
Creation by His death restored,
And shed new joys of life abroad.

Glide on, O glorious Sun, and bring
The gift of healing on Your wing;
To every dull and clouded sense
The clearness of Your light dispense.

Abide with us, O Lord, we pray;
The gloom of darkness chase away;
Your work of healing, Lord, begin,
And take away the stain of sin.

Lord, once You came to earth’s domain
And, we believe, shall come again;
Be with us on the battlefield,
From every harm Your people shield.

To You, O Lord, all glory be
For this Your blest epiphany;
To God Whom all His hosts adore,
And Holy Spirit evermore.

Apology

Catholic Forum was down for much of the morning.

Hymn for 1/5

Behold, the Master Passeth By

Behold, the Master passeth by!
O seest thou not His pleading eye?
With low sad voice He calleth thee,
“Leave this vain world, and follow Me.”

O soul, bowed down with harrowing care,
Hast thou no thought for Heaven to spare?
From earthly toils lift up thine eye;
Behold, the Master passeth by!

One heard Him calling long ago,
And straightway left all things below
Counting his earthly gain as loss
For Jesus and His blessèd cross.

That “Follow Me” his faithful ear
Seemed every day afresh to hear;
Its echoes stirred his spirit still,
And fired his hope, and nerved his will.

God gently calls us every day:
Why should we then our bliss delay?
Thou, Lord, e’en now art calling me;
I will leave all, and follow Thee.

Prayers for 1/4

Today we ask the intercession of Sts. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Pharaildis, and Trophimus of Arles; and Bls. Angela of Foligno and Manuel Gonzalez Garcia.

For the Sisters of Charity...

For the Congregation of the Eucharistic Missionaries of Nazareth...

For Andrew Dailey...

For Dale and Heather Price and family...

For personal intentions...

For the intentions posted on Happy Catholic and Catholic Fire...

For all intentions previously posted on this site..

Hymn for 1/4

Gentle Jesus, Meek and Mild

Gentle Jesus, meek and mild,
Look upon a little child;
Pity my simplicity,
Suffer me to come to Thee.

Lamb of God, I look to Thee;
Thou shalt my Example be;
Thou art gentle, meek, and mild;
Thou wast once a little child.

Lord, I would be as Thou art;
Give me Thine obedient heart;
Thou art pitiful and kind,
Let me have Thy loving mind.

Let me, above all, fulfill
God my heav’nly Father’s will;
Never His good Spirit grieve;
Only to His glory live.

Loving Jesus, gentle Lamb,
In Thy gracious hands I am;
Make me, Savior, what Thou art,
Live Thyself within my heart.

Prayers for 1/3

Today we ask the intercession of Sts. Pope Antherus, Daniel of Padua, Genevieve, and Munchin of Limerick; and Bls. Alan de Solminihac, Gerard Cagnoli, Kuriakose Elias Chavara, and Stephana de Quinzanis.

For the Congregation of the Sisters of the Mother of Carmel...

For prisoners...

For women serving in the armed forces...

For those whose spouses in the armed forces are serving far from home...

For Florida Wife and her husband...

For the Bayshores...

For personal intentions...

For the intentions posted on Happy Catholic and Catholic Fire...

For all intentions previously posted on this site...

Hymn for 1/3

Behold the Amazing Gift of Love

Behold th’amazing gift of love
The Father hath bestowed
On us, the sinful sons of men,
To call us sons of God!

Concealed as yet this honor lies,
By this dark world unknown,
A world that knew not when He came,
Even God’s eternal Son.

High is the rank we now possess;
But higher we shall rise;
Though what we shall hereafter be
Is hid from mortal eyes.

Our souls, we know, when He appears,
Shall bear His image bright;
For all His glory, full disclosed,
Shall open to our sight.

A hope so great, and so divine,
May trials well endure;
And purge the soul from sense and sin,
As Christ Himself is pure.

Prayers for 1/2

Today we ask the intercession of many Martyrs of the French Revolution; Many Martyrs Who Suffered in Rome; the Martyrs of Lichfield; the Patriarch Abel; Sts. Adelard, Basil the Great, Gregory of Nazianzen, Macarius the Younger, and Pope Telesphorus; and Bl. Bentivoglio de Bonis.

For the Holy Father, and for his personal intentions...

For the people of Russia...

For those who work in the healthcare profession...

For bakers and confectioners...

For personal intentions...

For the intentions posted on Happy Catholic and Catholic Fire...

For all intentions previously posted on this site...

Hymn for 1/2

Come, Let Us Sing unto the Lord


Come, let us sing unto the Lord,
New songs of praise with sweet accord;
For wonders great by Him are done;
His hand and arm have victory won,
His hand and arm have victory won.

The great salvation of our God
Is seen through all the earth abroad;
Before the heathen’s wondering sight,
He hath revealed His truth and right,
He hath revealed His truth and right.

He called to mind His truth and grace
In promise made to Israel’s race;
And unto earth’s remotest bound,
Glad tidings of salvation sound,
Glad tidings of salvation sound.

All lands to God lift up your voice;
Sing praise to Him, with shouts rejoice;
With voice of joy and loud acclaim,
Let all unite and praise His Name,
Let all unite and praise His Name.

Prayers for 1/1

Today we ask the intercession of Mary, Mother of God; the Martyred Soldiers of Rome; Sts. Eugendus, Fulgentius of Ruspe, Joseph Mary Tomasi, and Zygmunt Gorazdowski; and Bls. Clarus, Jean-Baptiste Lego, René Lego, Valentin Paquay, and Zedislava Berka.

For a blessed year...

For peace in the world...

For tailors...

For those in troubled marriages...

For the victims of the tornadoes in Texas...

For personal intentions...

For the intentions posted on Happy Catholic and Catholic Fire...

For all intentions previously posted on this site...

Hymn for the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

Sing of Mary

Sing of Mary, pure and lowly,
Virgin-Mother undefiled.
Sing of God's own Son most holy,
Who became her little child.
Fairest child of fairest Mother,
God the LORD who came to earth,
Word made Flesh, our very Brother,
Takes our nature by his birth.

Sing of JESUS, son of Mary,
In the home at Nazareth.
Toil and labour cannot weary
Love enduring unto death.
Constant was the love he gave her,
Though it drove him from her side,
Forth to preach, and heal, and suffer,
Till on Calvary he died.

Sing of Mary, sing of JESUS,
Holy Mother's holier son.
From his throne in heaven he sees us,
Thither calls us every one,
Where he welcomes home his Mother
To a place at his right hand,
There his faithful servants gather,
There the crowned victors stand.

Joyful Mother, full of gladness,
In thine arms thy LORD was borne.
Mournful Mother, full of sadness,
All thy heart with pain was torn.
Glorious Mother, now rewarded
With a crown at JESUS' hand,
Age to age thy name recorded
Shall be blest in every land.

Glory be to GOD the FATHER;
Glory be to GOD the SON;
Glory be to GOD the SPIRIT;
Glory to the THREE in ONE.
From the heart of blessed Mary,
From all saints the song ascends,
And the Church the strain re­echoes
Unto earth's remotest ends.